Is A House Really A Home?

by Yuna Yami Mouto

If he's really making up with the people he wronged, Dazai finally decides to cremate and bury the hatchet he one-sidedly held against a friend.

Is A House Really A Home?

Summary: If he's really making up with the people he wronged, Dazai finally decides to cremate and bury the hatchet he one-sidedly held against a friend.

Part 4 of Strangest People Dazai Visits

Sakaguchi Ango is a relatively simple man, or so he likes to view himself as much. He comes from a simple background, from a simple family and he had a relatively simple childhood. His father was very busy but also doting while his mother was very cold and distant but took care of all of the family's needs. He went to a simple, ordinary school, where he lived the simple life of the 'school nerd'.

Even when he developed his Ability just after starting high school, he was simply fast-forwarded to a special education program within his father's line of work. That is, the Special Abilities Division. At this point, he could neither remember nor care whether it had been his decision or his father's, but Ango went along with it, which turned his simple life ... not so simple.

Don't get him wrong. Ango was good at his job. Damn good, even, if he dares say so himself. And he's proud that he's doing things that will help make a difference. He doesn't regret ... most of his decisions and actions, but there are days when he curses his father and Chief Taneda to hell and back because the heartbreak he lived through after his status as a spy in the Port Mafia was revealed had actually left him wanting to commit a Dazai for the two years his young friend had to lay low. The guilt of his betrayal and how that might have helped along Oda's death never left, even as he and Dazai seemingly reconciled a little more each time Yokohama was in danger and they had to work together. Meursault and the Dead Apple incident nearly put Ango into an early grave from stress and worry, but Dazai had actually looked like he'd actually mostly forgiven him.

And then Odasaku was somehow back and Dazai's grudge against Ango disappeared while the bespectacled man's own guilt only increased.

Not that his two friends would let him drown it now. Their trips to Lupin were probably worrying in their frequency but, most of the time, they only had one glass of alcohol before they switched to virgin cocktails and other nonalcoholic drinks. Ango stuck to his tomato juice, Dazai indulged in grape juice most of the time and Oda chose apple juice. Their usual barman would watch them with fond amusement as Dazai and Oda worked steadily at destroying Ango's doubts and made him relax again instead of wallowing in guilt and self-loathing.

Ango was not there when Chuuya basically proposed marriage to Dazai, but he had heard about it, mostly from Odasaku. However, he stayed quiet until he was directly informed about it by one of the halves of Soukoku. The gravity manipulator still had a bone to pick with him, despite Ango not having been involved with the first Shibusawa incident, after all, so he didn't want to further complicate things if he can prevent it, so he waited. He was happy for the brunet and figured staying quiet at that time was for the best. There would be plenty of time to tease him or congratulate him later.

But outside of all of that, Ango still lived a simple life and did his best to find joy in simple things. He would wake up, get ready, get a coffee to go on his way to work, drink more coffee when he got there, do his job, disagree with Chief Taneda, do more paperwork or some cleanup that is required, drink more coffee, maybe get something to eat, drink some more coffee as he did some more work and then go home, have his first proper, nutritious, healthy meal of the day, check if any more work came his way through his emails before turning in for the night, if he was lucky. Then next morning, rinse and repeat. That's Ango's everyday life and he was mostly content with it. Especially now that he has his friends back. Rarely ever does he deviate from this routine.

So getting a rare half-day off of work is both a blessing and incredibly, stupidly suspicious. Ango had eyed Tsujimura like she would turn into a giant singularity dragon any second now and eat him alive, long enough that she started squirming and an exasperated Taneda came out of his office to shoo him off himself. Even more suspicious, but either everyone was replaced by aliens for making him take time off when the Division almost never had that happen for any of their workers, or he really looked like shit to the point he worried everyone. So Ango went home, wondering if he could actually catch up on sleep and whether Dazai and Odasaku would be in Lupin tonight. He thought about texting them, but refrained.

Just because he had spare time and was maybe a little lonely at times doesn't mean his friends' don't have lives of their own outside of their little trips to Lupin. Odasaku was a father, for hell's sake, and a novelist with deadlines to meet. Dazai, on the other hand, was not only an engaged man, but also constantly busy because something always required his attention. Such is the life of Yokohama's go-to man for all issues and problems. Between keeping the Tripartite stable as a bridge between all three organizations, being the Guild-tamer, educating Bram Stoker about the 21st century, mentoring Shin Soukoku, occasionally entertaining Dostoevsky, sometimes going to Sigma's Sky Casino to deal with tricky cheaters, doing his actual day job and preventing Natsume-sensei from playing matchmaker between the dubbed Zenki Soukoku or doing anything else as distasteful as that ... Yeah, Dazai should probably use his free time to spend it with his fiance. That he has the time to come to Lupin is the real miracle. The bandaged man apparently has the additional Ability to add an hour to his day so he can manage to do it all. That ridiculous man, really.

That ridiculous man who was, apparently, inside his apartment and was ... directing? a bunch of buff guys to move around Ango's stuff?

"Dazai-kun? What's going on? Who are these people?" He didn't ask how they all got in despite his many locks and other government-level security measures, including agents guarding his residence. Those were all child's play for Dazai to deal with, especially since two of the agents were girls one was a bisexual guy. (Here, he briefly considered whether he should call Chuuya-kun, or if that might just end up worse for him.) The remaining two would be easy to scam or intimidate, considering it was the infamous (former?) Demon Prodigy.

"Ango~!" Dazai greeted him in that cheerful way that usually spells trouble for Ango and the beaming smile sent his way did not reassure him, not in the least. In fact, it only made him more uneasy, a shiver of dread traveling up and down his spine. He made to step back, but the predator already locked onto him and was aware of his desire for retreat, so of course the bandaged man was next to him in a second, deceptively thin arms wrapping around his bicep and elbow, locking him in place. "You're finally here! I was wondering what was holding you up."

'I am going to be killed by a god made flesh,' Ango thought, knowing there was no way Chuuya-kun would approve of Dazai-kun being this touchy with people other than Odasaku, let alone with Ango. "I got off early ... What are you doing here? Not that I wouldn't want you here but ... "

"Oh, I came to fetch you," Dazai answered without really answering at all, which was more typical of him than you'd think. "We're going to a very special place and I had to make sure you don't get lost on the way."

"I think I know my way to Lupin with my eyes closed by now," Ango sweatdropped, but let himself be dragged back towards the door. Only to stop and dig his heels in as he saw his bookshelf being carried out and remembering the other odd thing in his home. "Dazai-kun, I'm not going anywhere until you tell me who these men are and what they are doing in my home," he said firmly, determined to stand his ground even if it meant going up against undoubtedly the most dangerous man in Yokohama.

Before the younger man could answer, though, Ango's landlady came in, all smiles and wrinkles, and handed him a small bag. Just by glancing down into it Ango could see some succulent and a tupperware of some sort, wrapped in a cloth, and it just confused him further than even the men moving things in his apartment.

"You better take care of yourself, Sakaguchi-kun. Don't make me come check in on you, young man," tutted the landlady with a fond smile. She was the only one in Ango's vicinity that wasn't from the Division, so she had no idea why this should not be happening.

Also, her words are confusing, but Dazai's charming smile had her at ease as she waved her goodbyes to them.

"I wish you a happy move and you better come visit this old lady!"

"Move!?" Ango screeched. "I'm not moving!"

But the landlady was already out and then Ango was pushed to the side as his couch was hoisted out. He protested but Dazai ignored his sputtering and instead dragged him out of the building and down to Ango's car.

"We're going to be late~ Move your bum, lazy legs!"

Dazai ignored his protests and just shoved him into the passenger side of the car with a grin that made Ango fear for his life. Then he feared for it even more as Dazai situated himself into the driver's seat. He didn't even protest that Dazai had clearly pickpocketed his keys from him, as he knew it would be useless. He wondered if he should pray as Dazai put the key in the ignition and turned it, starting the car.

Surprisingly, Dazai drove very carefully towards whatever their destination was. Ango couldn't relax at all for the first fifteen minutes, but after no sudden turns, breaks or accelerations, he started to relax. The scenery helped, as they were soon driving close to the sea and he could only watch with bated breath as the sun shone on the rippling surface. It's been a long time since he'd enjoyed the sight of nature's beauty just for the sake of it. He was always so busy that he forgets to treasure things outside of his outings with his friends. He almost falls asleep during the drive, but that's when Dazai finally pulls to a stop and kills the engine.

Ango observes their surroundings as they get out, Dazai opening his door and springing out first and the older male having no choice but to follow. It's a cozy little neighborhood, mostly two story houses and a couple of taller five to six story apartment buildings behind them, most of them facing the sparkling sea. The streets and pavements were clean and the yards of the houses were neat. Dazai parked in front of a particularly cute house. It had a high, wall fence, so Ango couldn't judge the yard until Dazai brazenly opened the gate and dragged him inside without so much as considering ringing the bell or using the intercom next to it. Ango couldn't even protest further because it was a short walk to the door and Dazai just as brazenly flung it open and marched in like he owned the place. The bespectacled man squawks at such behavior but before he could remind the brunet that he was no longer on the side that breaks the law, a patter of several pairs of feet interrupted him.

Before long, the fearsome Demon Prodigy was toppled over as five kids scrambled over him, all of them more or less yelling in his ears various greetings and calling him 'Dazai-nii'. And while Dazai fought the tickle battle five to one and was somehow still winning, Ango paled and found himself ready to collapse.

"Oh, Dazai, you're here early," another voice, much deeper and far more calm than the excitable children, came from the direction of what Ango could see was a kitchen. Oda Sakunosuke himself poked his head out and nodded a greeting at the stunned Ango. "Yo, Ango. Welcome home."

Ango's response was automatic to the greeting to the point that he didn't even realize what he'd said until he felt six pairs of eyes on him. Oda's kids - most of whose names Ango embarrassingly enough struggled to remember - were sizing him up, while Dazai was looking up at him from his sprawled position smugly, like the cat that got the cream.

"Kids, get off of Dazai and come help me set the table. We can have lunch before we help Ango unpack."

"Unpack?" Ango echoed even as the little girl - Sakura - grabbed his hand and shyly guided him to the kitchen slash dining room while Dazai was dragged along by the most rowdy one, Kousuke, and his partner in crime who Ango thinks is called Katsumi while the shy one, Shinji, was riding on his shoulders and playfully touching the ceiling. That left Yuu, right? Well, he'd run off in front of their little procession to start setting the table. As the redhead gave his kids tasks and shooed Dazai off to wash his hands, Ango finally got a chance to speak with the dirty little enabler- I mean Dazai's BFF. "Odasaku-san, what's going on here?"

The former assassin gave him a confused smile and he looked a bit too handsome, all domestic-like with the silly kiss-the-cook apron and the sea through the window as a background, making his eyes stand out even more. "Oh? Didn't Dazai tell you?"

"Unlike you, Dazai-kun never tells me anything," the government agent grumbled, but Oda either didn't hear him or didn't care.

"He said you've been feeling lonely lately so he thought you should move in. You know, get away from the workplace and things. He seems to think that you'll do something stupid and, well, Dazai's never wrong."

"Something stupid!? Like what!?" It wasn't Ango who befriended dangerous individuals, tempted fate or entranced terrorists just because he's feeling bored all while testing his fiance's patience when said fiance happened to be the most powerful Ability user in probably the whole world!

"Yeah, something stupid," Dazai echoed, back from having washed his hands and giving Ango an unimpressed stare. "Like sulk in your pathetic little former apartment instead of calling Odasaku or I out for a drink!"

Their resident redhead nodded. "That is stupid."

"Don't start, you!" Honestly, these two always ganged up on him ... "And I was not going to sulk!" He didn't even try to defend his former residence or the status change it had undergone. It would be useless. Arguing with Dazai is always useless.

"You so were~" Countered the genius, pouting at Ango with arms crossed over his chest. He reminded the government agent a lot of the sixteen year old eager to add another friend to his incredibly limited social circle instead of the eighteen year old whose world was falling apart ... It made it hard for Ango to get annoyed at him.

"You shouldn't sulk, Ango. After all, you have Dazai and me here if you need company," was Odasaku's earnest reply to all of that and ... Well, Ango felt like he might just cry. "Now sit down. We have curry for lunch."

"Should you really be serving spicy curry to Dazai-kun?" He asked, intent on teasing Dazai for the situation he put him in. "You know he can't handle it."

"You're annoying and salty, just like Candice," sneered Dazai as he wrestled the kids to sit beside Oda.

"Candice? Who's Candice?" Ango did not like the grin on Dazai's or the three more rambunctious boys' faces but Sakura pouted at the brunet and he said nothing else. Ango just frowned. "Who's Candice?"

"You don't want to know," Shinji shyly, but also kindly yet cryptically, tells him and Ango wonders what he's missing.

"Wish Kyuusaku-kun was here," Katsumi said with an eager grin. "The old man can't make them not say it!"

"Say what?" Odasaku asks and the boys plus Dazai but minus sweet Shinji just snicker while Dazai reassures him that it's nothing to worry about. "Oh. Well, then, dig in. Curry is best while still hot. And Dazai, you better finish that plate. Nakahara-kun worries."

"Did he snitch on me for not having breakfast this morning?" The brunet pouts.

"Kunikida-kun, too."

Dazai pouts harder but proceeds to eat.

"Dazai-nii, when will Aya-chan visit again? I like her and Bram-san," Sakura asks and Dazai gets into a whole tale about his latest run-in with the vampire lord and the ginger girl he adopted right under her father's nose with Dazai's assistance. Ango would probably point out that it couldn't have been a legal process, but Aya really does seem happier away from that man, who is actually, for once, making an effort with her now that he knows what it's like for her to be gone. Ango's not in Child Protection Services, but he's glad he doesn't have to leave an anonymous tip for them to actually check up on the girl. Bram Stoker spoils her rotten while making sure she stays healthy and protected, which is apparently something Dazai and his Agency partner Kunikida help with. It's a very heartwarming story all around ...

"Dazai's really changed, huh," Odasaku observes to him in a whisper and Ango realizes that everyone's finished their food but him. The kids have led Dazai off to some other room and could be heard arguing over what they were going to do and who Dazai was going to play with. It left only the two men at the table and Oda had finished his food but Ango had half a plate left. "Eat," the aspiring novelist all but ordered when he apparently noticed Ango was about to push his unfinished plate aside. "I don't let Dazai starve himself here, much less you."

"I thought Dazai-kun was a bigger priority." It was something he'd always known about his two friends. Out of their little Lupin trio, Dazai was Oda's priority and vice versa. Perhaps they'd always sensed that he wasn't fully like them? It wouldn't surprise him from Dazai ... But they both did always come for him, including him and care about him ...

"Of course," came the easy, expected answer. "The kids first, then Dazai, then you." Just like it was Chuuya, Oda and then whatever else Dazai cared about. "Kids and significant others or basically siblings come before friends, Ango. Sometimes other loyalties, too." He winced at that. "Other times ... revenge ... " They both winced at that, knowing what he was referencing. "It's why Dazai's such a priority this time around. But that doesn't mean I don't want you in my life, too. I forgave you a long time ago, and despite him not saying anything about it, so did Dazai." Oda sent him a sidelong glance. "You wouldn't be here if he didn't."

"Yes, I suppose so ... " Ango trailed off, unable to hold off the small smile, nor the tears gathered on his eyelashes. He quickly stuffs his mouth with curry to have an excuse, even if they both know it's neither hot nor spicy enough for that.

After he finished eating, he helped Oda with the dishes, just as the doorbell rang. Ango noticed that the children immediately stiffened and clung either onto each other or Dazai. Dazai managed to calm them down and pry them off before he answered the door. Oda excused himself, apologizing for leaving him with the dishes alone, which Ango reassured him that he didn't mind, before he returned to his kids. They immediately clung to him instead as Dazai opened the doors.

"Oh, you guys sure are quick! Did you get everything?"

"Yes, Dazai-san. We took everything from the apartment, not including the appliances that came with it," the head mover answered and Ango gawked as he saw his stuff being unloaded from the truck and slowly moving to the house.

"Wait, you were serious!? It wasn't an elaborate prank!?" The bespectacled man screeched, but the movers ignored him and Oda tugged him out of the way when he just stood there and gawked.

"Is Ango-san going to live with us now?" Yuu asked and Oda nodded, patting his head.

"Can we help?" Katsumi asked excitedly and Dazai chuckled as he signed off some papers.

"Why don't you guys prepare Ango's room so we can help him decorate after everything's brought in?" The kids cheered and took off towards the guest room. "They're adorable."

"They are," Oda agreed fondly.

"And you guys are disgusting. I'm going to check on the stuff in the truck before I gag," the brunet said, pointedly looking to where Oda was basically holding Ango's hand. The government agent flushed but Oda just moved his hand so he was actually holding his hand.

Ango combusted.

Dazai fake gagged before leaving them alone so he can boss the movers around.

An hour later, just as everything was loaded off of the truck, a motorcycle engine was heard approaching and the children cheered and ran out to greet none other than Nakahara Chuuya himself. They returned to the house floating above the ginger haired man's head, engulfed in a red glow, making superhero, airplane and bird noises while pretending to fly.

"Yo, scrub, Doc Glasses," he nodded to them before setting the children down on the couch - the one brought from Ango's now former apartment - much to their protests, so he can walk over to Dazai so they can exchange a chaste kiss in greeting. "Mackerel."

"Slug." Never have insults sounded so sweet and loving. "Thanks for coming."

"It's whatever," the shorter dismissed. "I just wanted to make sure you ate and that you don't forget about our date tonight."

"As if I would ever!"

"You would, just to annoy me."

"Fair enough."

"Hello, Nakahara-kun," Oda greeted back, getting the Mafioso's customary "Just Chuuya is fine," in response. "Thanks for coming to help us move stuff around."

"Yeah, don't mention it. Like, literally, don't mention it."

Ango stared incredulously. "You protest me 'treating you like an errand boy' for calling on you to defeat a threat only you can handle, but not being called to move furniture!?"

"My only other options were Kenji-kun or Verlaine-san," Dazai responded with a grimace instead of his fiance while he draped himself over said fiance. "Kenji-kun would have just broken everything, despite meaning well, and Verlaine-san is on a date with Randou-san right now; they've finally recovered from the disastrous date Yosano-sensei sent them on." Chuuya sighed exasperatedly while Oda just nodded like it was completely understandable and commonplace for two Trascendants to be traumatized by good AC.

"Besides, you're not shitty Dazai."

" ... Right." Well, at least he understood that part.

Chuuya just snorted at him before gesturing towards his fellow redhead. "C'mon, we have stuff to do. Leave the wet noodles to babysitting duty."

"Chuuya doesn't complain about my 'noodle arms' when I carry him after Corruption. Or when I cling to him in be-"

"SHUT IT!"

But with that, it was indeed the two brunets who remained around the kids, watching over them even if they were immersed in the latest show they were watching. Katsumi, apparently, had something of a crush on Q, because he wanted to watch all the Disney movies, especially the older princess ones, so he can discuss it with them. Ango's not sure how he feels about that, given that Yumeno Kyuusaku is six years older and at least partially psychotic, but neither Oda nor Dazai seemed worried about it when he brought it up to the younger man.

"They're just friends, for now," Dazai shrugged even as he chuckled at Katsumi shushing Yuu and Kousuke who whined about watching Snow White for the fifth time that week alone. ("Kyuusaku-kun is coming to visit this weekend, so shut up! I need to memorize all the details! Especially with the apple scene, since Kyuusaku-kun says that Snow White eating it was fully intentional!") Shinji and Sakura apparently didn't mind watching all the Disney movies over and over again, though they actually had favorites as opposed to Katsumi who was only trying to impress Q. "And six years isn't too big of a gap, once they're both at least eighteen, if the crush even lasts that long. Honestly, Odasaku, Bram-san and I are more worried about Kousuke and Aya-chan."

"Oh?"

"Yeah," Dazai grimaced and now Amgo was really invested in the story. "They butt heads worse than Akutagawa-kun and Atsushi-kun, which is saying something. Kousuke is kinda jealous but also super hyped that Aya-chan is really good in karate. But he's also got that awkward kindergarten sort of crush where he teases her and picks fights with her to get her attention, but Aya-chan's been spending too much time with my own beloved violent, short tempered ginger, so she just emulates him and punches Kousaku across the room. She knocked his tooth out, the other week, but thankfully it was already meant to fall out, anyways. Odasaku worries, though, and don't even get me started on how protective Bram-san is in father-mode. Which is also why it's Chuuya who's here today and not Bram-san with his offer to turn a few people vampire and have them do his bidding, since Aya-chan would come with him and then we'd have to clean up blood from Odasaku's nice floors again."

'Of course he only worries about inconveniencing Odasaku-san and not at all about the morality behind Stoker's offer.' Ango sweatdrops but doesn't mention it. Instead, he focuses on something else that's been bothering him since he basically allowed himself and his stuff to be kidnapped from his apartment. (He decidedly does not think about the paperwork he'll have to fill out because of his sudden change of residence. Fuck that. He deserves a vacation, too!) "Dazai-kun, if I may ask ... Why?"

"Hmm? Why what?"

"Why did you go out of your way to do all of this?" He asks, gesturing to the considerably smaller pile of his stuff still by the entrance, more and more of it floating away towards where his new room will be, apparently. If one strained their ears, they could hear Oda and Chuuya discussing aesthetics vs practicality vs Ango's own taste, which the man himself hadn't even known Oda was knowledgeable about enough to have such lengthy counterarguments to Chuuya. "Why come to my apartment, crush my loneliness and make me be closer to Odasaku-san?"

"Well, Odasaku and you have some unresolved tension and feelings you ought to discuss and experience has taught me proximity is the safer option to deal with it than life-threatening situations and near-death experiences," the bandaged genius casually retorted. "But that's for Odasaku's sake, as I'm sure you understand." Ango nodded at the pointed look the younger gave him. "Hell, you can even say that moving you in is for his sake, too, but not only for his, or for the kids'."

"Then for whose?"

Dazai looked at him like he was a dumbass. "Yours, idiot." At Ango's no doubt surprised face, the younger huffed. "I will never forget your betrayal, nor how some of your actions allowed Mori-san to bring about Odasaku's death. But Odasaku and the kids are fine and alive now and you've been trying to reach out to me in your own way while also drowning in guilt this whole time. I will never forget ... But I'm willing to forgive. It's not going to be a 100%, not ever," Dazai warned when Ango gasped. "But don't think you're special. I don't forgive even Chuuya or Odasaku a 100%. There are simply things we do that don't deserve full forgiveness; it's what prevents people from doing the same stupid shit again and again. At least that's how I like to view it. Chuuya and Odasaku know that, so they also know never to go out to die or say insensitive things again even if it's in the heat of the moment."

Ango knew the dying part was directed at Odasaku, but he wondered what Nakahara could have said that Dazai never forgave him fully for it.

"Point is," the former Port Mafia Executive continued. "That I forgive you enough to trust you with Odasaku and the kids. And he does, too." Sakaguchi gulped down the emotions threatening to overwhelm or downright suffocate him. "So don't fuck it up, Sakaguchi Ango. There won't be a third chance."

"I understand," he said around a sob he refused to let out. "Thank you, Dazai-kun."

He still started sobbing when Dazai shouldered him playfully. "What are friends for?" Dazai then proceeded to further surprise him by hugging him and letting him cry his heart out on his shoulder, even swaying them in place a little to help him calm down when he struggled to breathe around his guilt and grief and the crushing relief. He didn't even move away when their favorite redheads came back, finished with the moving, and Ango instead just felt Oda completing their hug while the ginger left them to it and instead entertained the children to give them some privacy.

Eventually, after everything was set up, Dazai and Chuuya left. Oda saw them off while leaving Ango in charge of the kids. It was only five minutes, but it was a lot of trust ... It was also hell because, apparently, Dazai was still a little shit and he told the kids to test Ango if he was good enough for Odasaku. And the kids agreed all too gleefully.

That was the hardest five minutes of Ango's life, but he thinks it was worth it when Oda came back and bestowed them with a loving smile.

Needless to say, Ango's life changed that day. His routine more or less went a bit like this these days: wake up, get a good morning kiss from Oda (eventually, after weeks of teasing from Dazai and Chuuya, who in particular told them they were ridiculous for pussyfooting around each other, which is a whole new level of ironic Ango did not dare point out), be forced to have breakfast with Oda and the kids, drop off the kids in preschool and occasionally Oda at his publishing house for a meeting with his editors, go to work, try to stuff himself with less coffee - or try to continue as he usually would while futily trying to keep it from Dazai, who will snitch on him to Odasaku; he still doesn't know who is ratting him out, but his bets are on Tsujimura and her incurable crush on Chuuya, though how she doesn't know Chuuya plans to put a ring on Dazai's finger one of these days is the bigger mystery here - do all his work and fill out all of his mind-numbing paperwork while Dazai and Oda did their best to distract him in their group chat or personal messages, have lunch because god forbid he doesn't (Dazai once had his grandmother sick Sebastian on him; the butler did not leave until the entire Division had round bellies, as he was truly one hell of a butler), go home in time for dinner with Oda and the kids, make all those rascals brush their teeth before bed, let Odasaku wrestle one last cup of coffee from him, prepare for bed, cuddle with Oda while he told him about his day or the book he was working on, fall asleep while listening to the rumble of his lover's voice and the thumping of his heartbeat, rinse and repeat.

Of course, occasionally, the kids would stay with Stoker or even Lady Tsushima for the two adults to have some alone time or go out to Lupin with Dazai for a few drinks. Or the Sakunosuke-Sakaguchi household would host Aya, Q and Elise, occasionally Kenji and Kyouka, too. Ango made sure to be careful what he said when the blond Ability manifestation was around and, usually, at least Dazai was there to make sure Yumeno wasn't causing problems so he made sure Mori's Ability didn't snoop.

Sakaguchi Ango finally had the chance to experience what a true family felt like, even if it meant traumatized kids waking him up in the dead of the night or giving up his 'dream' of turning his blood into coffee for the sake of his work. His vacation days finally had a meaning. His free time was precious. He had his friends back, a place to belong outside of his duty.

And when, at the end of the day, he returned to the house he shared with Odasaku, Kousuke, Katsumi, Yuu, Shinji and Sakura, he returned home.

Something he will forever cherish and protect with all of his might.

'Thank you, Dazai-kun. Odasaku-san.'

OWARI